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The purpose of this paper is to develop a fast and accurate analytic model function for the single-valued H-B curve of ferromagnetic materials, where hysteresis can be disregarded (normal magnetization curve). Nonlinear magnetoquasistatic simulations demand smooth monotone material models to ensure physical correctness and good convergence in Newton's method.

The Brauer model has these beneficial properties, but is not sufficiently accurate for low and high fields in the normal magnetization curve. The paper extends the Brauer model to better fit material behavior in the Rayleigh region (low fields) and in full saturation. Procedures for obtaining optimal parameters from given measurement points are proposed and tested for two technical materials. The approach is compared with cubic spline and monotonicity preserving spline interpolation with respect to error and computational effort.

The extended Brauer model is more accurate and even maintains the computational advantages of the classical Brauer model. The methods for obtaining optimal parameters yield good results if the measurement points have a distinctive Rayleigh region.

The model function for ferromagnetic materials enhances the precision of the classical Brauer model without notable additional simulation cost.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of geometrical microstructure of items obtained by applying a three-dimensional (3D) printing technology on their mechanical strength.

Three-dimensional printed items (3DPI) are composite structures of complex internal constitution. The buildup of the finite element (FE) computational models of 3DPI is based on a multi-scale approach. At the micro-scale, the FE models of representative volume elements corresponding to different additive layer heights and different thicknesses of extruded fibers are investigated to obtain the equivalent non-linear nominal stress–strain curves. The obtained results are used for the creation of macro-scale FE models, which enable to simulate the overall structural response of 3D printed samples subjected to tensile and bending loads.

The validation of the models was performed by comparing the computed results against the experimental ones, where satisfactory agreement has been demonstrated within a marked range of thicknesses of additive layers. Certain inadequacies between computed against experimental results were observed in cases of thinnest and thickest additive layers. The principle explanation of the reasons of inadequacies takes into account the poorer quality of mutual adhesion in case of very thin extruded fibers and too-early solidification effect.

Flexural and tensile experiments are simulated by FE models that are created with consideration to microstructure of 3D printed samples.

The thermally extended Tellinen model (Kühn et al., to appear) is here investigated and equipped with a hysteresis loss model, while preserving its simple structure.

As in the original model, these approaches are based upon phenomenal observations and measured saturation curves. The authors start with the original model and step-by-step add their extensions, such that in the end they can apply the extended model in a finite element method (FEM) simulation. During the process, care is taken to ensure that the applicability in a FEM simulation is not impaired, in terms of memory requirements and computing power.

In comparison to the original model, this extended model needs some further requirements and so is a little bit more limited in its application. It is in itself coherent and well defined. The authors provide an on-the-fly algorithm computation of hysteresis losses. First numerical results for a coupled field/thermal system show expected behavior.

The original model (Tellinen, 1998) does not take temperature into account. It includes a model for calculating hysteresis losses, but it differs largely from the approach presented here. The thermal extension is now also equipped with an on-the-fly method for hysteresis losses. Furthermore, the authors provide some analysis of simple, stable loops.

Soft actuators using pneumatic-chamber (PneuNet)-based designs have been of interest in the area of soft robotics with scope of application in the area of biomedical assistance and smart agriculture. Researchers have attempted to investigate multiple chambers in parallel to examine their deformation characteristics. However, there is a lacuna for investigation of the deformation characteristics of four parallel chambered soft actuators. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively investigate the different possible actuation scenarios and the resulting bending/deformation behaviours.

Therefore, in this study, a four-chambered PneuNet actuator is numerically investigated to evaluate the effects of pressurization scenarios and pressure levels on its performance, operating reaching and working volume.

The results of this study revealed that two-adjacent chamber equal pressurization and three-chamber pressurizations result in increased bending. However, two-opposite chamber pressurization reduces the bending angle with pressure levels in the lower pressure chamber. The maximum bending angle of 97° was achieved for single-chamber pressurization of 300 kPa. The two-adjacent chamber unequal pressurization can achieve a sweeping motion in the actuator along with bending. The working volume and reaching capability analysis revealed that the actuator can reach around 71% of the dimensional operating space.

The results provide fundamental guidance on the output nature of motion which can be obtained under different pressurization scenarios using the four-chambered design soft actuator, thereby making it a practical guide for implementation for useful applications.

The comprehensive pressurization scenarios and pressure level variations reported in this study will serve as fundamental operating guidelines for any practical implementation of the four-chambered PneuNet actuator.

The most significant event for the School has been the announcement of the creation of the National Centre for Management Research and Development. The Centre is due to open in 1986 and will provide research facilities for up to 20 major projects designed to improve the competitiveness of Canadian business practices.

Paint drying is a very important process in an industry where shorter drying time for productivity and lower energy consumption for production cost are required while maintaining the product’s painting quality. In the present study, a drying process in a line-type paint drying furnace equipped with nozzles for hot air supply and moving conveyer belt to dry painted automotive parts is numerically simulated for the flow and heat transfer inside the furnace to evaluate the quality of the drying or baking at the end of the drying process in a production line.

A baking window for a specific paint is used for judging the local degree of baking (DOB) of the painted parts, which can be useful to identify under-baked or over-baked locations of the painted parts, and hence the quality of the baking process.

Numerical results of a time history of temperatures at two monitoring points on the painted parts were obtained and compared to the measured data in an actual furnace and showed good agreement. Three types of paints were considered in the present study and numerical results showed different drying characteristics. In addition to the original furnace nozzle configuration, two more furnace nozzle configurations with different numbers, direction and speed of hot air supply were simulated to improve the furnace’s drying performance. As a result, a newly suggested nozzle configuration with quick drying paint can give us a remarkable improvement in surface averaged DOB compared to the original nozzle configuration with original paint.

The present simulation technique and DOB methodology can be used for the optimal design of a drying furnace.

Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the theoretical as well as practical points of view. The range of applications of FEMs in this area is wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore aims to give the reader an encyclopaedic view on the subject. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 2,025 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the analysis of beams, columns, rods, bars, cables, discs, blades, shafts, membranes, plates and shells that were published in 1992‐1995.

The purpose of this paper is to solve the problems of poor mechanical properties, high surface roughness and waste support materials of thin-walled parts fabricated by flat-layered additive manufacturing process.

This paper proposes a curved-layered material extrusion modeling process with a five-axis motion mechanism. This process has advantages of the platform rotating, non-support printing and three-dimensional printing path. First, the authors present a curved-layered algorithm by offsetting the bottom surface into a series of conformal surfaces and a toolpath generation algorithm based on the geodesic distance field in each conformal surface. Second, they introduce a parallel five-axis printing machine consisting of a printing head fixed on a delta-type manipulator and a rotary platform on a spherical parallel machine.

Mechanical experiments show the failure force of the five-axis printed samples is 153% higher than that of the three-axis printed samples. Forming experiments show that the surface roughness significantly decreases from 42.09 to 18.31 µm, and in addition, the material consumption reduces by 42.90%. These data indicate the curved-layered algorithm and five-axis motion mechanism in this paper could effectively improve mechanical properties and the surface roughness of thin-walled parts, and realize non-support printing. These methods also have reference value for other additive manufacturing processes.

Previous researchers mostly focus on printing simple shapes such as arch or “T”-like shape. In contrast, this study sets out to explore the algorithm and benefits of modeling thin-walled parts by a five-axis machine. Several validated models would allow comparability in five-axis printing.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a method to predict the situation of a loaded element in the compressive stress curve to prevent failure of crucial elements in load-bearing masonry walls and to propose a material model to simulate a compressive element successfully in Abaqus software to study the structural safety by using non-linear finite element analysis.

A Weibull distribution function was rewritten to relate between failure probability function and axial strain during uniaxial compressive loading. Weibull distribution parameters (shape and scale parameters) were defined by detected acoustic emission (AE) events with a linear regression. It was shown that the shape parameter of Weibull distribution was able to illustrate the effects of the added fibers on increasing or decreasing the specimens’ brittleness. Since both Weibull function and compressive stress are functions of compressive strain, a relation between compressive stress and normalized cumulative AE hits was calculated when the compressive strain was available. By suggested procedures, it was possible to monitor pretested plain or random distributed short fibers reinforced adobe elements (with AE sensor and strain detector) in a masonry building under uniaxial compression loading to predict the situation of element in the compressive stress‒strain curve, hence predicting the time to element collapse by an AE sensor and a strain detector. In the predicted compressive stress‒strain curve, the peak stress and its corresponding strain, the stress and strain point with maximum elastic modulus and the maximum elastic modulus were predicted successfully. With a proposed material model, it was illustrated that the needed parameters for simulating a specimen in Abaqus software with concrete damage plasticity were peak stress and its corresponding strain, the stress and strain point with maximum elastic modulus and the maximum elastic modulus.

The AE cumulative hits versus strain plots corresponding to the stress‒strain curves can be divided into four stages: inactivity period, discontinuous growth period, continuous growth period and constant period, which can predict the densifying, linear, non-linear and residual stress part of the stress‒strain relationship. By supposing that the relation between cumulative AE hits and compressive strain complies with a Weibull distribution function, a linear analysis was conducted to calibrate the parameters of Weibull distribution by AE cumulative hits for predicting the failure probability as a function of compressive strain. Parameters of m and θ were able to predict the brittleness of the plain and tire fibers reinforced adobe elements successfully. The calibrated failure probability function showed sufficient representation of the cumulative AE hit curve. A mathematical model for the stress–strain relationship prediction of the specimens after detecting the first AE hit was developed by the relationship between compressive stress versus the Weibull failure probability function, which was validated against the experimental data and gave good predictions for both plain and short fibers reinforced adobe specimens. Then, the authors were able to monitor and predict the situation of an element in the compressive stress‒strain curve, hence predicting the time to its collapse for pretested plain or random distributed short fibers reinforced adobe (with AE sensor and strain detector) in a masonry building under uniaxial compression loading by an AE sensor and a strain detector. The proposed model was successfully able to predict the main mechanical properties of different adobe specimens which are necessary for material modeling with concrete damage plasticity in Abaqus. These properties include peak compressive strength and its corresponding axial strain, the compressive strength and its corresponding axial strain at the point with maximum compressive Young’s modulus and the maximum compressive Young’s modulus.

The authors were not able to decide about the effects of the specimens’ shape, as only cubic specimens were chosen; by testing different shape and different size specimens, the authors would be able to generalize the results.

The paper includes implications for monitoring techniques and predicting the time to the collapse of pretested elements (with AE sensor and strain detector) in a masonry structure.

This paper proposes a new method to monitor and predict the situation of a loaded element in the compressive stress‒strain curve, hence predicting the time to its collapse for pretested plain or random distributed short fibers reinforced adobe (with AE sensor and strain detector) in a masonry building under uniaxial compression load by an AE sensor and a strain detector.

The modeling of magnetostrictive effects is a topic of intensive research. The authors' goal is the precise modeling and numerical simulation of the magnetic field and resulting mechanical vibrations caused by magnetostriction along the joint regions of electric transformers.

The authors apply the finite element (FE) method to efficiently solve the arising coupled system of partial differential equations describing magnetostriction. Hereby, they fully take the anisotropic behavior of the material into account, both in the computation of the nonlinear electromagnetic field as well as the induced magnetostrictive strains. To support their material models, the authors measure the magnetic as well as the mechanical hysteresis curves of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheets with different orientations (w.r.t the rolling direction). From these curves they then extract for each orientation the corresponding commutation curve, so that the hysteretic behavior is simplified to a nonlinear one.

The numerical simulations show strong differences both in the magnetic field as well as mechanical vibrations when comparing this newly developed anisotropic model to an isotropic one, which just uses measured curves in rolling direction of the steel sheets. Therefore, a realistic modeling of the magnetostrictive behavior, especially for grain-oriented electrical steel as used in transformers, needs to take into account the anisotropic material behavior.

The authors have developed an enhanced material model for describing magnetostrictive effects along the joint regions of electric transformers, which fully considers the anisotropic material behavior. This model has been integrated into a FE scheme to numerically simulate the mechanical vibrations in transformer cores caused by magnetostriction.